Great British Menu 2011 - Johnnie Mountain Interview (North West)

“It’s a pretty tall order given the competition, but even among chefs, Johnnie Mountain could be considered seriously eccentric” Charles Campion

I'm ashamed (relieved) to say that my TV viewing has diminished greatly of late, but I'm hoping to catch Great British Menu 2011 from tomorrow.

This year the chefs are being challenged to cook for the ultimate street party, The People's Banquet - inspired by The Big Lunch, a nationwide one-day event that encourages people to cook and eat with their neighbours in the spirit of community, friendship and fun.

This week on the Great British Menu, it's the turn of the North West chefs Bruno Birkbeck, Johnnie Mountain and Lisa Allen to fight it out.

I got the chance to speak with Johnnie Mountain, chef/owner of the English Pig on Aldersgate Street, London at the New Zealand Earthquake charity event Kai We Care earlier this month (more of which soon), and having spent a short while in his company, I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing how he fares - even though he does scare me a tiny bit due to a startling resemblance to Gary Oldman.

I thought he was fab on GBM last night - full of fun, imagination and wickedness. I suspect he'll do less well on the fish course, but I'd love to see someone with that level of personality get in front of the judges on Friday :)

Thanks for this MiMi; Johnnie is one of those people who are genuinely eccentric - so much so, it is easy to lose sight of how much cooking means to him. I was in tears when he got through to the judging on his dessert, I really could not tell whether he or Lisa Allen was going to win! He ought to write a book "Down and Out and Cooking in London" :-)